Crab Apple Crisp

The crab apples on the tree in our yard are now ripe, and surprisingly they taste pretty decent. The taste is similar to a Granny Smith, but slightly more bitter. Because tart apples are good for cooking, I decided to give a crab apple crisp a shot, and it turned out delicious. The apples had a nice bite and weren't too sour at all once cooked. If you have a crab apple tree in your yard with not-too-sour apples, consider giving a crab apple crisp a whirl! If not, this recipe works just as well with regular apples or peaches. I haven't tried it with berries or plums, but I imagine it would work for those as well.

Crab Apple Crisp Recipe

Ingredients:
6-7 ripe crab apples
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar (white or brown)
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 sticks butter
3 tbsp. cinnamon

Cooking Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and slice apples, then add to a mixing bowl with 1 tbsp. cinnamon and a few shakes of sugar. I generally use about 1/8 cup, but you can use more or less depending on how sour your apples are and how sweet you like your apple crisp. Mix apples with cinnamon and sugar until the apples are evenly coated, then transfer to a 8 x 10 inch or similar size casserole dish.

In a separate mixing bowl, start your crust by combining 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar (can easily be reduced to 1/2 cup), 2 tbsp. cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp. baking soda. Melt 2 sticks of butter and add slowly to the mixture until the crust sticks together but has a slightly crumbly consistency. Make a ball of dough that fits easily in the palm of your hand, then press into a small patty. Lay the patty on top of your apple mixture in the casserole dish, then continue making and placing patties until the apples are covered. I like to overlap my patties just slightly. Sprinkle cinnamon on the top, then bake for 35-45 minutes. Let cool for half an hour before serving with ice cream and/or berries.